Rise 2: Resurrection

Review

by Brett Alan Weiss

When Rise of the Robots was released for the Super Nintendo in 1994, it didn't take long to discover that slick packaging, streamlined graphics, and rocking sounds were but a thin veil over a clunky, slow, and exceedingly dull game. Rise 2 Resurrection for the Sony PlayStation, the sequel to Rise of the Robots, improves upon the original game's positive aspects and fixes all of its problems. Once again the music is written and performed by former Queen band member Brian May, and once again it rocks hard, this time with the benefit of CD technology. The graphics are an improvement over its handsome predecessor, and the sound effects are vibrant and explosive. While these aesthetic improvements are to be expected, the things that set Rise 2 Resurrection apart from the disappointing Rise of the Robots are game play and variety.

With an array of 18 different darkly futuristic fighters, a slew of combos, several gruesome termination moves, and plenty of Street Fighter II-like combat techniques, Rise 2 Resurrection is one of the most intense 2-D fighting games ever created. It's certainly not very original, but it is fun. The controls are responsive, and the fights are furious and thoroughly convincing. When you pull off a multiple-hit combo and robotic metal clangs against robotic metal, it's enough to make your teeth rattle. The fighting is much more fierce and darkly sinister than a game like Killing Zone, which features battles between such monster luminaries as a mummy, a Frankenstein-like creature, and a werewolf. These robots make those guys look like wimps.

The Super Nintendo was a great system in its day and perfectly capable of handling an excellent fighting game (witness Mortal Kombat II and Street Fighter II: Turbo). Rise of the Robots could have and should have been a much better game. It's hard to believe such a dreadfully flawed game ever had a sequel made for it, but you'll be glad that they made this sequel. Rise 2 Resurrection rocks!